Tech's Vin Camera takes on new challenge

On Wednesday afternoon, Ludlowe athletic director Dave Schulz announced that Vin Camera has been hired as the school’s new head football coach. “Vinnie was the standout candidate in the interview process,” Schulz said in a statement. “We are looking forward to him joining our staff at Fairfield Ludlowe.” Camera, who has been the coach at Platt Tech in Milford since 2007, was speculated to be the next football coach at Ludlowe since February, however, the hire was delayed as the school went through the process of finding the math teacher a job inside the school system. He was officially offered the position last week. Camera inherits a Falcon team that is coming off a .500 season. After a 1-5 start to the 2012 campaign, former coach Matt McCloskey announced that he would step down at the end of the season. The team rallied around its now ex-coach, winning its final four games to end the season with the second best record at Ludllowe dating back to the 2005 split of Fairfield High. “It’s exciting,” Camera said. “There’s a whole world of opportunity and resources available with this team. It’s now just a matter of putting together the right staff to accommodate the kids and the team’s needs and let it build from there.” Camera will have some of the key players back from last season — including senior All-FCIAC performers Stephan Zadravek at tight end and Matt White at quarterback. All-FCIAC second-teamers Jimmy Gasper and Christian Giorzi, both running backs, and defensive lineman Jake Garrell will also be at Camera’s disposal. “It’s very exciting,” White said. “Now that we finally have a coach we can start to focus on the direction that he wants to take the team.” Said Camera: “I haven’t met any of the players yet. Ironically, we scrimmaged against each other the last two years. I recently was able to get some game video to watch and I think there is a lot of talent there, especially at the skilled positions.” Camera expressed interest in running a Power I offense with Ludlowe, but said he would have to evaluate the team’s personnel before making a decision. “I’m a guy who believes in evaluating his personnel each year,” Camera said. “I have enough in my playbook to gear it season-to-season on what the strengths of the team are going to be.” An East Haven native, Camera graduated high school in 1997 and attended Fairfield University where he played football. However, a recurring injury to his left knee forced him to stop playing during his junior year. Unable to return to the field as a player, Camera got his first coaching job as an assistant at Fairfield Prep in 2000 under former Jesuit coach and current administrator Rich Magdon. In 2007, Platt Tech announced that they were starting the school’s first football program and choose Camera to lead the way. Beginning from scratch, Camera combined for a 24-37-1 record in the first six seasons at Platt Tech — finishing last season a program-best 6-4. Camera and Ludlowe will begin a new chapter in September with a FCIAC-South Connecticut Conference crossover game against Lyman Hall of Wallingford. “We’re going to try and carry the momentum from last year into this coming season with us,” White said. “We want to keep the win-streak alive.”

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